Novel bamboo leaf shaped CuO nanorod@hollow carbon fibers derived from plant biomass for efficient and nonenzymatic glucose detection.

The present paper reports on the preparation of novel bamboo leaf shaped CuO nanorod dispersed hollow carbon fibers (denoted as CuO NR@PCFs). Specially, the new-type hollow carbon fibers (containing abundant micro/meso/macropores and a large specific surface area) were prepared only by simple and fast pyrolysis of the natural product catkins without using any template or surfactant. Meanwhile, a facile method was used to prepare the bamboo leaf shaped CuO nanorod covered PCFs. Thanks to the abundant micro/meso/macropores, large specific surface area, and excellent electrical conduction efficiency of the PCF matrix, the as-prepared CuO NR@PCFs could also afford more catalytic sites, show more excellent reactant transport efficiency, and display more excellent electron transport rates compared with those for the pure CuO balls. Above all, these advantages will result in the excellent oxidation and detection efficiency of the CuO NR@PCF sample to glucose. Electrochemical measurements reveal that the CuO NR@PCF modified electrode can directly catalyze glucose oxidation and display an enhanced current response compared with the pure CuO balls (such as a response time within 4 s, wide linear ranges of 5 × 10(-3)-0.8 mM and 0.8-8.5 mM, good reproducibility, considerable stability, and excellent anti-interference to electroactive molecules and Cl(-)). The superior catalytic activity and selectivity make the CuO NR@PCF catalyst very promising for application in direct detection of glucose.

Enamel Remineralisation with a Novel Sodium Fluoride-Infused Bristle Toothbrush.

This study aims to investigate whether toothbrushes with fluoride-infused bristles have any (re)mineralisation effects on bovine enamel. Bovine incisors (N = 160) were extracted, and the buccal side of the crown was cut into dimensions of ~5 mm × 5 mm with a low-speed saw. These specimens were randomly allocated into four groups: half (80 teeth) were stored in demineralising solution (DM), and the other half were stored in deionised water (DW) for 96 h. Then, they were brushed with a force of 2.0 ± 0.1 N for five min with a manual toothbrush with either fluoride-infused (TF) or regular (TR) bristles. Microhardness (Vickers), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to investigate the surfaces of the bovine enamel specimens before and after brushing. Two-way ANOVA was used to analyse the hardness data, and the pairwise comparison method was used to analyse the Ca/P ratio, for each group at α = 0.05. The results show that brushing with either of these toothbrushes increased the Vickers microhardness on DM and DW enamel (p < 0.001), whereas hydroxyapatite was revealed in all groups by XRD. The DM samples showed a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the Ca/P ratios after brushing with TR and TF. Conversely, under DW conditions, these ratios decreased significantly after brushing. In terms of the F atomic%, TF increased significantly. SEM revealed mineral deposition in the DM groups after toothbrushing. To conclude, toothbrushing effectively induces the microhardness of sound and demineralised enamel, while fluoride-infused bristles might be able to retain fluoride on the enamel surface.

LLPS of FXR proteins drives replication organelle clustering for ß-coronaviral proliferation.

ß-Coronaviruses remodel host endomembranes to form double-membrane vesicles (DMVs) as replication organelles (ROs) that provide a shielded microenvironment for viral RNA synthesis in infected cells. DMVs are clustered, but the molecular underpinnings and pathophysiological functions remain unknown. Here, we reveal that host fragile X-related (FXR) family proteins (FXR1/FXR2/FMR1) are required for DMV clustering induced by expression of viral non-structural proteins (Nsps) Nsp3 and Nsp4. Depleting FXRs results in DMV dispersion in the cytoplasm. FXR1/2 and FMR1 are recruited to DMV sites via specific interaction with Nsp3. FXRs form condensates driven by liquid-liquid phase separation, which is required for DMV clustering. FXR1 liquid droplets concentrate Nsp3 and Nsp3-decorated liposomes in vitro. FXR droplets facilitate recruitment of translation machinery for efficient translation surrounding DMVs. In cells depleted of FXRs, SARS-CoV-2 replication is significantly attenuated. Thus, SARS-CoV-2 exploits host FXR proteins to cluster viral DMVs via phase separation for efficient viral replication.

Injectable, photoresponsive hydrogels for delivering neuroprotective proteins enabled by metal-directed protein assembly.

Axon regeneration constitutes a fundamental challenge for regenerative neurobiology, which necessitates the use of tailor-made biomaterials for controllable delivery of cells and biomolecules. An increasingly popular approach for creating these materials is to directly assemble engineered proteins into high-order structures, a process that often relies on sophisticated protein chemistry. Here, we present a simple approach for creating injectable, photoresponsive hydrogels via metal-directed assembly of His6-tagged proteins. The B12-dependent photoreceptor protein CarHC can complex with transition metal ions through an amino-terminal His6-tag, which can further undergo a sol-gel transition upon addition of AdoB12, leading to the formation of hydrogels with marked injectability and photodegradability. The inducible phase transitions further enabled facile encapsulation and release of cells and proteins. Injecting the Zn2+-coordinated gels decorated with leukemia inhibitory factor into injured mouse optic nerves led to prolonged cellular signaling and enhanced axon regeneration. This study illustrates a powerful strategy for designing injectable biomaterials.

Binary titanium alloys as dental implant materials-a review.

Titanium (Ti) has been used for long in dentistry and medicine for implant purpose. During the years, not only the commercially pure Ti but also some alloys such as binary and tertiary Ti alloys were used. The aim of this review is to describe and compare the current literature on binary Ti alloys, including Ti-Zr, Ti-In, Ti-Ag, Ti-Cu, Ti-Au, Ti-Pd, Ti-Nb, Ti-Mn, Ti-Mo, Ti-Cr, Ti-Co, Ti-Sn, Ti-Ge and Ti-Ga, in particular to mechanical, chemical and biological parameters related to implant application. Literature was searched using the PubMed and Web of Science databases, as well as google without limiting the year, but with principle key terms such as ' Ti alloy', 'binary Ti ', 'Ti-X' (with X is the alloy element), 'dental implant' and 'medical implant'. Only laboratory studies that intentionally for implant or biomedical applications were included. According to available literatures, we might conclude that most of the binary Ti alloys with alloying <20% elements of Zr, In, Ag, Cu, Au, Pd, Nb, Mn, Cr, Mo, Sn and Co have high potential as implant materials, due to good mechanical performance without compromising the biocompatibility and biological behaviour compare to cp-Ti.

Silk fibroin/sodium alginate composite nano-fibrous scaffold prepared through thermally induced phase-separation (TIPS) method for biomedical applications.

To mimic the natural fibrous structure of the tissue extracellular matrix, a nano-fibrous silk fibroin (SF)/sodium alginate (SA) composite scaffold was fabricated by a thermally-induced phase-separation method. The effects of SF/SA ratio on the structure and the porosity of the composite scaffolds were examined. Scanning electron microscopy and porosity results showed that the 5SF/1SA and 3SF/1SA scaffolds possessed an excellent nano-fibrous structure and a porosity of more than 90%. Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry results indicated the physical interaction between SF and SA molecules and their good compatibility in the 5SF/1SA and 3SF/1SA scaffolds, whereas they showed less compatibility in the 1SF/1SA scaffold. Cell culture results showed that MG-63 cells can attach and grow well on the surface of the SF/SA scaffolds. The nano-fibrous SF/SA scaffold can be potentially used in tissue engineering.